Clothespin



June 10, 1952 Q BECKER 2,600,091

CLOTHESPIN Filed July 15, 1948 AT TORNE Y Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN Maximilian 0. Becker, East Orange, N. J. Application July 15, 1948, Serial No. 38,789 1 Claim. (01. 24-137) This invention relates to novel clothes-pins. In one of its more specific aspects the invention is directed to one piece clothes-pins which are of simple construction, may be readily manufactured, and in operation embody a difierent principle than the previously known device of this character, for coupling and maintaining articles, such as clothes, household goods, for example sheets and the like on a clothes line.

These as well as other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and appended drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a clothes-pin embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing a part of clothes line supporting a sheet, with the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 coupling and maintaining the sheet in position on the line.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the other side of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrows.

As shown in the drawings, the clothes-pin may comprise a body I0, having a plurality of and as shown three fingers ll, l2 and I3 extending therefrom. The body may be of any desirable shape and may have a lift-finger opening [4 in the form of an elongated slot or a circle as shown. The lower part of the novel clothes-pin has a pair of slots [5 and [6. The width of the slots [5 and I6 is of sufiicient magnitude to permit the insertion therethrough of a clothes-line together with a part of an article to be suspended from said line. The outer free ends of each of the fingers ll, l2 and I3 are rounded and the outer free ends of fingers H and I2 are curved in one direction and the outer free end of the finger I3 is curved in the opposite direction to provide an enlarged receiving guide or mouth for ready and easy insertion of the clothes-line and article to be supported thereby. The lower inner edge 20 of each of the fingers II and I2 is inclined at an angle of 10-30 to its longitudinal axis. Short curvilinear or rounded portions 2| of the inner side edges of the leg II and [2 meet the upper terminii of the incline side edges 20 and also side edges 22. A throat or restriction 23 is provided between the curved portions 2| and the longitudinal side edges 24 of the middle finger IS.

The side edges 24 may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of finger l3, or they may be inclined in an opposite direction to the inclination of edges 2 0 and 23. Their angles of inclination may be the same as that of 20 and 22 but in the opposite direction so that they extend convergingly downward. When edges 24 are so inclined, edges 20 and 22 may or may not be inclined. Each side edge 22 is also inclined in a direction opposite to the direction of inclination of the edge 20 adjacent thereto. The angleof inclination of side edge 22 may be 10-90 and preferably 30-60 to the longitudinal axis of fingers II and I2. Short curvilinear portions 25 are at the upper terminii of inclines 22 and at the terminii of upper edges 26. Each upper edge is inclined at an angle of 30-90 to the longitudinal axis of fingers II and I2 and extends from the portion 25 towards the longitudinal axis of the finger l3. The other end of each incline edge 26 meets an arcuate edge 21 which reduces the widthwise dimension of the finger l3 at its upper end 29 so that its width thereat is approximately twice that of 30 the upper ends of fingers II and I2. The upper end of slots l5 and I6 are enlarged at 28 as shown, with the maximum widthwise dimension being fifty per cent or more than the minimum dimension of the throat between the fingers II and l 2 and finger l3. It is to be understood that the various inclines herein described need not be straight line and that curvilinear portions may be substituted therefore, and that the enlargements 28 may be in most part an arc of a circle.

As shown in Fig. 3, an article I00 to be suspended is placed over a clothes line NH. The novel clothes-pin may then be held upright and the lower end inserted over the article. Upon lowering the clothes-pin the article and line enter the enlarged lower end or receiving mouth of the device, then slide along the incline edges 20, past the throats and into the enlarged closed upper ends of the slots [5 and It. The finger [3 located on one side of the article and the other fingers H and I2 are located on the other side of the article to snub and maintain the article in position on the line I0l. With the clothes-pin in .position as shown in Fig. 3, any snapping of article I00 due to the wind will cause a tightening and additional snubbing of the line and article in the enlarged or generally dove-tail openings in the clothes-pin to more firmly latch them to the clothes-pin. Generally, when it is desired to remove the clothes-pin, it is first tipped to one side and then pulled out.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5-8, there is provided a continuous narrow flange 30 extending around the outer periphery of the body ID, the side edges of the fingers II and I2 and along the incline 26; an oppositely disposed flange 3| is provided along the edges of the finger l3. The flanges 30 and 3| serve as reinforcing elements and also aid in the snubbing and latching action when the device is in use because the line extends over the flanges 30 and 3|.

These clothes-pins may be composed of metal,

such as aluminum or the like, plastics, resins,

such as the acrylic, phenol-aldehydaetc resins. resin impregnated paper, cardboard, etc., wood,

laminated wood in the nature of plywood, etc

They may be readily stacked, easily handled and stored "In: all of these various. embodiments of my invention; the clothes-pins consist of a single element having a center finger 13. a pair .of outer 'fingers Ill and 12;.with either oneor bOth'Of the side edges offinger. 13 'being inclined downwardly inward towards its longitudinal axis. When the side edges-2'4 are inclined, .the inner side edges of 'the outer fingers 2| 1 and 12' may be either straight down or: diverging downwardly towards A clothes-pin comprising an element having an inner rigid finger and a pair of outer rigid fingers, the lower part of each of said outer fingers being deflected outwardly in one direction, the lower part of the inner finger being deflected outwardly in the opposite direction, said inner finger being spaced from said outer fingers, the space between said inner finger and said outer fingers communicating with enlarged openings at the upper part of said element, the inner edge of each of said outer fingers being inclined downwardly towards its longitudinal axis, said spaces between said inner finger and outer fingers extending normally upwardly to said enlarged openings in decreasing widthwise dimension a material distance from the'lower end of said element to provide a mouth for ease of line-insertion and restrictive throats through which the line may pass into said'enlarged openings for line-snubbing, one edge of 7 each of said enlarged openings being inclined upwardlytowards the" longitudinal axis of it's'related finger, the Widthwise dimension of said inner finger at the upper part thereof being less than the corresponding dimension of the mag; or portion of the remainder thereof.

-C. BECKER.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

